BDN has some audio chats from Duke's win over Cal Poly last week which we couldn't get up due to time constraints. But as promised here are comments from Mason Plumlee, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith who all stated that as a team they can play better.
Mason Plumlee post game one on one -
Kyle Singler -
Nolan Smith -
The Duke basketball and football teams both play in what will be a busy weekend ahead for Blue Devil fans and both games should prove to be quite interesting. In this weeks edition of Monday Musings we'll take a look at the week ahead, offer thoughts on the programs and of course there is our Cheerleader of the Week.
Where were the students?
On a crisp Autumn day in Wallace Wade Stadium, the Duke football team was going back in forth with Virginia in what was an exciting offensive showdown where the Blue Devils came out on top 55-48. At the start of the game, there may have been 50 students max in the stands and some in the press box thought that number would grow and it did, by maybe 100 and I do mean maybe 100 more. Meanwhile the football team played with a lot of heart and won a thrilling victory in the last minute of the ball game and they deserved better support. Despite the lack of students, the ones who there in faith were shown appreciation as the team and Coach went over to celebrate their victory. I have attended games for a long time and the students were not born for some of them. With that in consideration, I can tell you that I have never seen such lack of support as was witnessed this past Saturday. We live in a day when Duke practically has to bribe and coddle the student body to get them to show up at what should be a traditional gathering. And the scary part is there seems to be no obvious solution. If you are a student and reading this, how about supporting Duke against Boston College for a win would give the Devils a three game winning streak and their second straight ACC win. It'd be a lot easier to accomplish if there were more support.
Meanwhile, Duke opens the men's basketball season
During the ACC Media Day in Charlotte, North Carolina I asked Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski if it were hard to put last season behind him, thinking his answer might be yes. Nah! He's beamed in and ready to embark on the 2010-11 season where the Blue Devils will this time start the season where they left off, that being number one in the country. Duke will miss graduated seniors Brian Zoubek, who attend the exhibition win over Cal Poly, Jon Scheyer who by the way suffered a really devastating eye injury since and Lance "Hustle Bunny," Thomas. But the Blue Devils reloaded with guy named Kyrie Irving, a really talented, sometimes dazzling point guard, Josh Hairtson and Tyler Thornton to go with the returning cast which features All Americans in Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith. The first victim will be Princeton this coming Sunday in a game televised by ESPNU which starts at 5:00. Duke will then turn right around and take on Miami of Ohio on Tuesday. Do you think the aforementioned students will be in Cameron for the opener?
Before the tip off to the basketball season, Boston College invades Wallace Wade
In the pre-season I picked Boston College second in their division [and I wasn't alone] for there was a lot of returning talent on the team. The Eagles stumbled early on, but they are now talking bowl and winning out and they are licking their chops thinking they'll take care of business starting with Duke. Does it seem like it's been a long time since the schools played? Well, it has for Duke has played them one time since their conference arrival, a 28-7 loss in 2006. Anyhow, this is a key contest for both schools in many ways. Duke wants to close out the season with some momentum while Boston College wants to atone for early season woes. The Eagles have won two straight ACC games with their latest victim being Wake Forest, a team which Duke lost a heartbreaker to.
Duke Basketball will be tested early
This seasons edition of the men's basketball team will face several early tests in November and early December. Not that we want to overlook some teams but games with Marquette, Gonzaga or Kansas State, Oregon on the road for Kyle Singler's homecoming all in November. And December brings the #2 Michigan State into Cameron and a rematch with Butler in East Rutherford, N.J. That's two top 10 teams and two top 25 teams and two just outside of the rankings in short time.
And there will be great catastrophes and rumors of ...
This past weekend an ESPN Insider speculated on a certain Duke guard transferring. Not long ago, the media giant started running rumors across the ticker. Rumors set forth tremors in fan bases and the sky is falling crew just know there has to be something to every little whim, right? Well, of course they do and that fuels other fans paranoia more often than not. The mere fact that some rumors are proven to be true seems to justify each and every one be examined under a microscope, despite the fact that the majority of them, like 90% or better are just bunk. I mean opposing fan bases are constantly planting stuff about one another on the wild, wild west like world wide web. This especially holds true on the recruiting front where a certain anonymous poster can say something and it ripples through message boards like fire in a dry forest.
And if you run a web site, you will find that no matter how ridiculous some of them are, you are expected to acknowledge each and every rumor to the tune of numerous questions and the aforementioned "Chicken Little" fans. Oh, and they can be justified for this poster on so and so's board got one right. Folks, I am here to tell you that people have selective memories. If you are in my position, they only remember the very few things I have gotten wrong. Heck, sometimes people even say I gave them a guarantee from lack of comprehension and again, they read what they want to and can reconstruct what you say to fit their selective views. So facts? What are they and do people even care anymore?
The BDN staff starting having to address rumors from other message boards, so much so that we started a separate "rumors," board for unsubstantiated blurbs in an effort to keep fact and fiction apart. Our policy is if there is something out there we'll let you know asap, but if not, or it is another ridiculous rumor we simply will not address the issue and that serves as a message there is nothing to it. But just as some want to remember your misses and or supposed misses others want to just see rumors as being true, by not only overlooking but avoiding some of the facts. When ESPN starts running rumors over the ticker wire, it just opens the flood gates for others to do so and we hope they reconsider before they to have to start a separate rumor central area like we have done. Our motto has long been we deal in fact not fiction and we'll stick by that by stating if what we say is speculation it'll be clear to you and when we are emphatic about say a recruiting or other tidbits, you can take it to the bank.
In closing, thanks for your continued support and visiting the Blue Devil Nation for we all make up that nation. Have a good week ahead, support the Blue Devils and check back in next week for another edition of Monday Musings and of course the Cheerleader of the Week.
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The Duke Blue Devils earned a win on the football field in Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday afternoon by scoring 55 points, the most of any team in the past decade. While it is true, the defense struggled to stop Virginia, the real story was that these Blue Devils had no quit in them no matter the circumstances. There were a lot of positives to come out of the game and we'll discuss those in our weekly BDN Sunday Quarterback article.
An ACC win and hindsight
Duke got a much needed conference win and in the process now have a three game winning streak against Virginia, a team which was coming off a win over Miami. One cannot help but look back at contests with Maryland and Wake Forest, two other games the Blue Devils could have easily won had the ball taken one extra bounce. That would put them at 5-4 on the season. While fans cannot dwell on that, it is a sign that Duke, at least on offense has improved and that they are playing their best football this season after Saturday's effort.
Sean Renfree continues his great play
With 6:07 to go in the fourth quarter, Sean Renfree broke down the field for a 37 yard run and a touchdown, but it was his throw on 4th and 18 from the Duke 13 yard line to Cooper Helfet that really put the Blue Devils in position to win an exciting game. Renfree beamed with confidence in the post game press conference and it's safe to say that he has turned another corner on the learning curve.
Speaking of Cooper Helfet ...
The Duke tight end made some big time catches and led his team 7 catches for 122 yards. With Conner Vernon knocked out of the game, he became the playmaker and all his catches were huge. UVA clamped down on Vernon and Donovan Varner so Coach Cutcliffe used the big tight end to get Duke out of a lot of jams. Meanwhile, he got Varner in the game with a 9 yard run off the left tackle which scored.
And then there was Brandon Connette
Renfree looked like he had been in a prize fight after the win with some bloody nicks on his face and Connette was no different. Connette, a true freshman was a load for the Cavaliers defense rushing for 81 yards on 12 carries. On one drive Connette and Duke had the ball on the 46 yard line. The tough nosed youngster ran the ball the first five plays from scrimmage until the ball was on the Virginia nine yard line before the aforementioned Varner went untouched into the end zone while the Cav's defense was prepping for another Connette run. By the way, both Renfree and Connette scored two rushing touchdowns apiece. Now go see when the last time two QB's did that in one game at Duke via the record books. Oh yeah! And his two rushing touchdowns ties Chris Douglass as the most from a freshman.
A third quarterback from St. Louis played a role as well
I am an on the field guy when covering the games but the weather kept me in the press box during the first half. But once entering the battle zone in the second half, I got to talk to and see Thaddeus Lewis, Duke's record setting quarterback who is now with the NFL's St. Louis Rams. I came to know Lewis over his four years at Duke and his character hasn't changed one bit. When Varner scored, he came up to Lewis who was by my side and the two exchanged pleasantries before he went back to the bench. Lewis was yelling encouragement to his ex teammates all game long and in crunch time he rolled into the bench area for support.
The game was physical and for men
The two teams were laying down some hits all game long and the play from up close was very physical in nature. After one defensive stand, Duke nose guard Charlie Hatcher came off the field right beside me and was punch drunk. I put my hand on his shoulder pad and pointed him the direction of the bench and about that time a teammate came up and got him there. Hatcher was a warrior in the middle and came right back and made plays including a shoe string sack of UVA quarterback Marc Verica.
Desmond Scott and Duke ran the ball well
The last time Duke gained 259 yards rushing was against NCCU last season but it was 2003 when Chris Douglass played that Duke gained as much against an ACC foe. Desmond Scott fell 3 yards short of 100 yard for the day but his touchdown as time was winding down will be long remembered. I just happened to be standing at the pylon near the endzone andthat meant I had an incredible birds eye view of the play. Scott ran wide with the ball and just when you thought he was down and Duke was close to allowing Will Snyderwine to be a hero, but the sophomore had other plans. Scott made a move and then tight roped his way down the sideline jumping and stretching toward the pylon two feet in front of me for the score. His effort was tremendous and he grew up even more as a running back on a play I can still see in my minds eye.
Ross Cockrell is a playmaker
There were times when I wondered what Cutcliffe had seen in his redshirt freshman defensive back for he has learned on the fly by trial and error this season. Cockrell had a coming out game versus Virginia with two interceptions and he was so close to a third that was called a dropped ball when nobody in the stadium saw it as such. The replay was insufficient for the angle was bad, but many feel he made the play, but why harp on that with a huge Duke victory? For what it's worth, Thaddeus Lewis said he was going to be the real deal and used his name in the same sentence as other great Duke DB's like John Tally. The lessons learned this season will make Cockrell one of the best at his position as his career moves ahead.
You should have been there, you really should have been there
Duke has just under 23,000 in attendance and those who missed this game, missed a good old fashioned offensive shoot out. I cracked on the students via our twitter game updates in that there may have been 30 there for kickoff and that number went to maybe 120 for the game. The students who were there were supportive and warriors and are to be commended but for others to not support a team playing their hearts out late in the season is a tad tacky if not selfish. The students there were shown appreciation by Cut and the team when they ran over to greet them after the game and it was emotional in a most good way. Cutcliffe would later say he appreciated their support, calling them and those around for the celebration their real fans. It would be nice to see the place full for the Boston College game this coming week where Duke can win their third straight game and pick up another ACC win.
Closing the season on a high note thus far
After many early struggles, this Duke team has showed they have no quit in them. Duke wants togo into the off season with momentum and they have a chance to do that in their remaining three games, two of which are at home. Duke had several recruiting prospects at the game and word is they were impressed by the direction the Blue Devils are going in. Many of the Dukies return a season from now and the rebuilding process is on track in a year when they lost key defensive players. Cutcliffe said their goal was to get better each day in practice and that hard work is starting to pay off. But nothing is sweeter than a win and yesterday Duke reached deep and won in exciting fashion. See you in Wade for the Boston College game and when I do let me see the friend you invited by your side. BDN supports Duke Football and so should you!
DURHAM - A very happy Coach David Cutcliffe took to the podium just a short time ago and found it hard to pin point any particular player or play for there were so many which were vital to Duke's 55-48 win over Virginia. Here are the post game comments in their entirety courtesy of BDN Audio.
Just press play -
The Duke Blue Devils came out on fire scoring 21 first quarter points and they ended the fourth quarter with another 21 points in a thrilling 55-48 victory over Virginia. In between those quarters was an offensive showdown but in the end Desmond Scott danced down the sidelines for a 35 yard run for a touchdown shortly the possession after he fumbled the ball after a solid Virginia hit.
Demond Scott was quite simply resilient but he was not alone, for several Blue Devils stepped up to the plate and willed Duke to their first ACC win of the season and their second straight win. Scott would finish with 97 yards rushing on the day and the Blue Devils ran for a total of 230 yards, the most since 2003 against an ACC school.
Duke back up quarterback Brandon Connette had 78 yards rushing himself and two rushing scores, his first a 2 yard run and his second an exciting 20 yard jaunt. And then starting quarterback Sean Renfree ran for two scores as well including a 37 yard run for a score putting Duke up before the Cavaliers scored two touchdowns of their own, the last one a Keith Payne 6 yard run which put the Cavaliers up 48-47.
The Blue Devils were working on field goal position but Scott's aforementioned run worked out just fine and according to Duke Coach David Cutcliffe, the play was just installed this week. The Duke defense then held after letting up 643 yards of total offense to the Cavaliers.
Another Duke star was tight end Cooper Helfet who pulled in 7 passes for 122 yards, a team high and a score. His play and the play of Duke's wideout depth helped offset the loss of Conner Vernon who was knocked silly on a kickoff return.
The way Duke won was incredible in that it looked as if they were going to lose a heart breaker. With just over a minute Duke got the ball back and trailed by a single digit. Renfree was sacked by the Virginia defense in his first two plays and Duke was forced to use their last timeout and the next play was an incomplete pass to Helfet.
That sat the scene for a 4th and 18 play where Renfree hit a streaking Donovan Varner for a 32 yard completion to the UVA 47 yard line and just when you were thinking a Duke field goal to win the game Duke found the end zone and smiles abounded from cheerleaders, fans and players for Duke won a bonafide thriller.
There was so much action it's hard to emcompess it in one article so we'll have more coming your way shortly as Duke goes to 3-6 on the season with Boston College coming into Wallace Wade Stadium next week.
The Virginia Cavaliers (4-4, 1-3 ACC) travel to Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday to take on the Duke Blue Devils (2-6, 0-4 ACC) in an ACC Coastal Division matchup. The Blue Devils are looking to build momentum coming off a win in Annapolis, while the Cavaliers are riding a two-game winning streak after an impressive victory over the Miami Hurricanes. The game will kickoff at noon ET and will be televised on espn3.com; tickets are still available at GoDuke.com. The Blue Devils will be honoring former standout WR Clarkston Hines at halftime on his upcoming induction into the College Football Hall of Fame; many other Duke football alumni, including St. Louis Rams' QB Thad Lewis, will also be in attendance.
Duke in Week 9
The Blue Devils put together a near perfect first half of football in Annapolis last Saturday, jumping out to a 24-0 halftime lead against Navy. QB Sean Renfree returned to his early-season form, completing 17 of 18 first half passes for 180 yards. Duke scored on its first four possessions, starting with a 30 yard Will Snyderwine FG on the opening drive, and then adding three rushing touchdowns, one by freshman QB Brandon Connette and two by Renfree. The defense forced a fumble on Navy's opening drive and then held the Midshipmen to just 67 yards of offense in the first half.
The second half was a story of survival, as the Midshipmen began to move the ball through the air with little resistance from the Duke defense. QB Ricky Dobbs ended the day with 227 yards through the air and 83 yards on the ground, almost all of which came in the second half. He connected with his receivers for 2 second half touchdowns and added another on the ground to put Navy within 3 points in the closing minutes. On Navy's final drive, a key tackle for a loss by Matt Daniels helped the Blue Devils' defense force a turnover on downs and sealed the 34-31 victory.
Virginia in Week 9
The Cavaliers jumped out to a big lead of their own last Saturday, taking a 24-0 lead early in the 4th quarter against Miami in Charlottesville. After knocking out QB Jacory Harris early in the game, the Cavaliers finished with 5 total interceptions, including two each for S Corey Mosley and CB Chase Minnifield. RB Keith Payne ran for 81 yards and 2 touchdowns, while QB Marc Verica threw for 176 yards and a touchdown. The Hurricanes did not go down without a fight, however; QB Stephen Morris led a furious 4th quarter comeback, scoring 19 points in the final 10 minutes. The rally fell short in the closing minutes as the Miami defense failed to get a needed stop, allowing Virginia to pick up two crucial first downs on their final drive of the game. The Cavaliers were able to run out the clock for a 24-19 upset victory.
Analysis
In the standings, this is a matchup between the bottom two teams in the Coastal Division, but on the field, this is a compelling game. Duke and Virginia are two programs on the rise in the ACC, both looking to sustain winning streaks into November. Both teams are coming off their most impressive victories of the season, and the teams matchup well. Duke boasts the 2nd best passing offense in the conference, while Virginia features the conferences' second best passing defense, led by standout CB Chase Minnifield. The two teams frequently go head-to-head on the recruiting trail, and much will be at stake on Saturday afternoon in Wallace Wade.
This is not the same Virginia team that has fallen to Duke the last two seasons, and it will take a solid 60 minute effort for a Blue Devil victory. Virginia's two-headed rushing attack leads their offense, featuring 6'3” 255 pound RB Keith Payne (69 yards per game, 12 touchdowns) and speedy sophomore Perry Jones (58.5 yards per game, 5.0 yards per carry). Fifth-year senior Marc Verica takes the snaps under center and enters the game 4th in the conference at 208 yards per game passing. Junior WR Kris Byrd has been Verica's favorite target, ranking 3rd in the conference in receiving yards per game at 72. The Cavaliers, like the Blue Devils, have had some turnover problems of their own, having thrown 10 interceptions (5 in the red zone) and lost 6 fumbles on the season. After giving up 15 sacks in their first 5 games, the offensive line has allowed just 2 sacks in the past 3, which has opened things up for Verica and the running game.
Defensively, Virginia has switched to a 4-3 defense from Al Groh's 3-4 scheme, with mixed results. They rank second in the conference and 17th in the country in passing defense, but rank second to last in the conference and 111th in the country in rushing defense. Sophomore linebackers LaRoy Reynolds and Ausar Wolcott lead the team in tackles with 49 and 41, respectively, but it is the secondary that is the strength of this unit. CB Chase Minnifield leads the ACC in interceptions and is second in passes defended. Junior DE Cam Johnson anchors the defensive front and leads the team with 10.5 tackles for loss and 5 sacks. On special teams, Minnifield is a dangerous punt returner, and Raynard Horne has a kick return for a touchdown this year. Placekicker Robert Randolph missed his first 3 FG attempts of the season, but has connected on his last 6, and Jimmy Howell ranks fifth in the conference in punting.
The keys to this game for Duke are:
BDN Prediction
This is an old-fashioned conference matchup that should be won or lost in the trenches for Duke. Despite injuries along the offensive line, Duke will have to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball to compete with the Wahoos. If the Virginia backs are able to find running room, Duke will have a tough time slowing the Cavaliers offense. Virginia's defense has been most vulnerable to the run, and Duke will need to have big days from Desmond Scott and Jay Hollingsworth to open things up for Sean Renfree and the passing game. The Blue Devils will have to put together their best 60 minute effort of the season to come away with their first ACC win in 2010.
Duke 30
UVA 28
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